Icon of Christ's Crucifixion from our Iconostas

Lenten Readings, Reflections and Prayers




Saint Tikhon on the Crucifixion

The Twelve Gospel Readings of Holy Thursday

The Seven Last Words of Jesus Christ

The Prayer of Saint Ephraim

Description of Services from Palm Sunday to Pascha

Description of Foods in Pascha Baskets

Why the Difference of Orthodox versus Western Easter Dates?

Pascha Greetings from Around the World



Saint Tikhon on the Crucifixion

You lived on earth, O King of Heaven, to lead me to Heaven --
I who had been cast out of Paradise.
You were born in the flesh of the Virgin to give me birth in the spirit.
You suuffered insults to silence the mouths of my enemies
who denounced me.
You abased Yourself, You Who are higher than all honors,
in order to honor me, the dishonored.
You wept to wipe tears from my eyes.
You sighed, grieved, sorrowed to save me from sighing, grieving,
suffering pain through eternity, to give eternal joy and gladness.
You were sold and betrayed
that I might be freed, I who was enslaved.
You were bound that my bonds might be broken.
You were submitted to an unjust trial -- You Who are the Judge of
all the earth -- that I might be freed from eternal judgment.
You were made naked in order to clothe me in the robes of salvation,
in the garments of gladness.
You were crowned with thorns,
that I might receive the crowns of life.
You were called the king in mockery -- You, the King of all! --
to open the Kingdom of Heaven to me.
Your head was lashed with a reed
that my name should be written in the Book of Life.
You suffered outside the city gates in order to lead me, one who had
been cast out of Paradise, into the eternal Jerusalem.
You were put among evil men -- You Who are the only Just One --
that I, the unjust, might be justified.
You were cursed, the One Blessed,
that I, the accursed, should be blessed.
You shed Your blood that my sins may be cleansed away.
You were given vinegar to drink
that I might eat and drink at the feast in Your Kingdom.
You died, You Who are the Life of all --
in order to revive me, the dead.
You were laid in the tomb, that I might rise from the tomb.
You were brought to life again that I might believe in my resurrection.



Back to the Menu




The Twelve Passion Gospels

Gospels of Holy Thursday

The twelve selections were chosen to give a definite continuity to the story of the last days of our Savior and show the harmony in the Gospel.

1st Reading -- John 13:31-18:1
Gives the farewell conversations of Jesus with His disciples and His first priestly prayer for them.

2nd Reading -- John 18:1-28
Discusses the Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane and His suffering in the presence of the high priest Annas.

3rd Reading -- Matthew 26:57-75
Describes the Passions of the Savior before the high priest Caiaphas and the denial of Christ by Peter.

4th Reading -- John 18:28-19:16
The trial before Pilate.

5th reading -- Matthew 27:3-32
The remorse of Judas. The continuing of the Saviors suffering before Pilate and the decision made to crucify Him.

6th Reading -- Mark 15:16-32
Leading the Lord to Golgatha and His sufferings on the Cross.

7th Reading -- Matthew 27:33-54
Sufferings of Jesus on the Cross and the divine wonders occuring before His death.

8th Reading -- Luke 23:32-49
The prayers of Jesus on the Cross for His enemies and the repentance of the thief called the "Model Penitent."

9th Reading -- John 19:25-37
The words of Jesus spoken from the Cross to His mother and to the Apostle John and the complete fulfillment of the prophecy about His death.

10th Reading -- Mark 15:43-47
Removal of the Body of Jesus from the Cross.

11th Reading -- John 19:38-42
The participation of Nicodemus and Joseph in the burial of the Savior.

12th Reading -- Matthew 27:62-66
The placing of the guards at the tomb and the sealing of the grave.




Back to the Menu




The Seven Last Words

During the Easter season, the Seven Last Words of Christ are remembered in sermons and as the theme of a famous choral cantata rendered by choirs.

  1. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Spoken by Christ at the time he was being crucified and the Roman soldiers were casting lots for His robe. (Luke 23:34)
  2. "Verily, I say unto thee, today thou shalt be with Me in Paradise." Spoken to the repentant thief who hung on a cross beside Christ. (Luke 34:43)
  3. "Woman, Behold thy Son!...Behold thy mother." Spoken to His mother and to the disciple John who was charged with taking care of Christ's mother.(John 19:26-27)
  4. "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken Me." Spoken by Christ during His agony on the Cross. (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)
  5. "I thirst." Spoken by Christ on the Cross in His final hour. Vinegar on a sponge was administered to Him at that time. (John 19:28)
  6. "Father, Into Thy hands I commend My spirit." Spoken by Christ just before His death after six hours of crucifixion. (Luke 23:46)
  7. "It is finished." The final words of Christ as He died on the Cross. (John 19:30)



Back to the Menu




Prayer of Saint Ephraim


O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk. (prostration) But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. (prostration) Yea, O Lord and King ! Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. (prostration) O God, cleanse me a sinner! ( 12 Times )(Then the entire Prayer of Saint Ephraim is read and a single prostration is made at the end.)

NOTE: During Great Lent, the Lenten Prayer of Saint Ephraim is said at most services during the week (not on Saturday or Sunday). It is also appropriate for Morning Prayers and the Prayers Before Sleep on the same days.)




Back to the Menu




Entry of our Lord into the city of Jerusalem

(Palm Sunday)

Todays readings are Philippians 4:4-9 and John 12:1-18. Jerusalem received Jesus Christ as the Messianic King. We proclaim anew our primary allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord when we accept a blessed branch from the Church. We keep the blessed branch in our homes all year long as a reminder of our loyalty to Christ our King.



Palm Sunday Evening

Matins Service is called traditionally the "Bridegroom Service" because the theme is the end of the world and judgment of Christ.

Behold, the bridegroom comes in the middle of the night and blessed is the servant whom he shall find watching, and unworthy the servant whom he shall find heedless. Take care then, O my soul, and not be weighed down by sleep that you will not be given over unto death and be excluded from the Kingdom. But rise up and call out: Holy, Holy, Holy art Thou O God, by the Theotokos have mercy on us.
Troparion of the First Three Days


Holy Monday

During the Great and Holy Week, the Church commemorates the passions and death of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The matins of the Holy Monday begins with the hymn, "Behold the Bridegroom comes at midnight and blessed is the servant whom he will find in vigil...".

In the first three days of the Holy Week, the entire Psalter is read, bringing to mind all the prophecies about Christ. From the Gospels, Monday we read Matthew and half of Mark; Tuesday we finish Mark and two-thirds of Luke; Wednesday, the remainder of Luke and John to Chapter 13: "Now the Son of man was glorified". The readings reassure us that Christ endured real death for us all.

Every single day of the Holy Week has a theme taken from the last days of earthly life of our Lord. Anyone who wishes to walk in the footsteps of the Lord shoul re-live those moments, in silence, withdrawl from worldly activities and pray. On Monday, we recall the cursed fig tree and learn that any soul that does not bring fruits will be cast into the eternal fire.



Holy Tuesday

On Holy Tuesday, the Parable of the wise and foolish virgins teaches us to remain in vigil, because the Lord comes unexpectedly. Wednesday is dedicated to the sinful woman who in repentance anointed Jesus' feet, in the house of Simon the Leper. She is opposed to Judas, who on the same day sold out his Master for 30 pieces of silver.



THE OFFICE OF HOLY UNCTION

GREAT & HOLY WEDNESDAY

Our Holy Orthodox Church has always view and soul as inseperable, and for that reason has stressed the necessity for preserving both in good health. That is why the Church provides of Holy Unction. Following Jesus Christ, exhortation to his disciples to "heal the sick, dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons."

Holy Unction is an enduring Sacrament of the healing of sickness and the forgiveness of sins.

The most familiar celebration of this Sacrament takes place on Great & Holy Wednesday of Holy Week. When the Orthodox world intensely recalls the Passions of Christ and His Holy Sacrifice on the Cross!



Holy Thursday

On Thursday, the Lord washed the feet of His disciples, instituted the Holy Eucharist and was arrested by Judas in the Garden of Gethsemane and suffered. At Liturgy, the Holy Communion for the sick is prepared for the entire year. The Gospels of the Passions of the Lord are read in the evening.



Gospels of Holy Thursday

The twelve selections were chosen to give a definite continuity to the story of the last days of our Savior and show the harmony in the Gospel.



The Twelve Passion Gospels



Holy Friday

On Holy Friday, the Lord is being judged, mocked and crucified. The Royal Hours recount the prophecies. This day, there is no Liturgy because Christ Himself is the Lamb of Sacrifice. The Orthodox Christians are called to spend the day in strict fasting and to be in Church. The evening service evokes the burial of the Lord. The Church represents the very tomb of the Lord and the faithful, like the Myrrh-bearers, go in procession around it, showing this way that they, too, are to be buried with Christ to rise again with Him.



Great and Holy Saturday

The Paschal Service



Back to the Menu






The Blessing of Paschal Foods

Every year, most of us spend a great deal of time preparing the food for the baskets that we will take to our parish to be blessed, it is a beautiful custom which we have the great honor of handing down to our children and grandchildren.

How many of us, though, have given any thought to why we include the foods that we do? The traditional foods have become traditional for a reason!

Here is a brief explanation that you can use when one of your guests inevitably asks about this tradition. Piease remember, however, that this is neither a complete listing nor a complete explanation.

Paska Bread
The bread symbolizes the Risen Christ. It reminds us that Christ is the Living Bread Who came to earth. Christ is our nourishment and support in life through His grace and help. The bread is decorated with braids, wreaths, ropes or flowers to remind us of the crown of thorns that Christ wore on His head on Great Friday.
Cheese and Butter
These dairy products remind us of the rich life we receive because of Jesus Christ who opened the gates of Heaven for us. Sometimes the butter is made into the shape of a lamb. Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God Who sacrificed His life for us.
Decorated Eggs
Eggs are a most ancient symbol for new life. It is the ultimate symbol of fertility. An egg is a promise and expectation of new life. Christians see the egg as a shape for the opening in the tomb from which Jesus Christ was raised. The hatching of eggs is a potent symbol of the New Life promised to us by the Resurrection. The eggs can be brightly decorated with beeswax and can contain many additional symbols and markings.
Horseradish
Horseradish, a bitter root, reminds us of the effect sin has on us. It also reminds us of the bitter gall Christ was given to drink on the Cross. Horseradish is usually mixed with grated red beets to remind us of the Blood of the Passion and the suffering of Christ It is sweetened with some sugar because of the unlimited hope we are given as a result of His Resurrection.
Meats (ham, kolbasi, lamb, etc.)
We have been fasting during Lent, some of us entirely and others of us as much as we can. Pascha brings an end to fasting. The first meats eaten to break the fast are those blessed in church. The meats symbolize the animals sacrificed in the Old Testament which prepared the way for the sacrifice of the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. Meat symbolizes God's favor and generosity to us. It also symbolizes the festiveness and joy of the Resurrection, reminding us of the fattened calf that was prepared for the Prodigal Son when he returned to his father.
Salt
Salting foods changes the taste of them, usually making them more appealing. As Orthodox Christians we are called the salt of the earth. It is our job to change the evil we see in the world with the Light of Christ We are to be the example in the world. Salt is also a preservative. Just as salt preserves food, so the teachings of Christ preserve us for Eternal Life.
Candle
Jesus Christ, Who rose from the dead, is the Light of the World. The candle in our basket emits a light to remind us of the True Light.

THE ARTOS BREAD:
After Pascha Holy Divine Liturgy, the Artos Bread is blessed in memory of Christ who is THE BREAD OF LIFE and nourishes us with the food of His Divine Mercies. The Artos Bread is carried around the church at every procession during Bright Week, as a constant invisible reminder of Christ s sojourn on earth after His Holy Resurrection. It is later (Bright Saturday) broken and distributed to the faithful.

BLESSING OF PASCHAL (EASTER FOODS) BASKETS:
Following Paschal Holy Divine Liturgy, the clergy and faithful proceed to the blessing of the paschal baskets in which the faithful have placed specially prepared foods from which they had abstained from during the Great Lenten Fast. A special item among these foods is the Pascha Bread (in Russian-Kulich), as well as specially prepared cheese and egg dishes.



Back to the Menu





WHY THE DIFFERENCE IN EASTER DATES?

The Orthodox Church calculates the date of Easter, Pascha, according to important decisions made at the First Ecumenical Council of the Church in the year 325 in the City of Nicea (Turkey today). The Council declared that the date of the Christian Pascha - Easter should be determined as follows:


  1. The Feast of the Resurrection must be celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon of the vernal equinox. If the full moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is then the following Sunday.
  2. The Resurrection must always be celebrated aftar the Jewish Passover. This is to insure the proper historical sequence of events as recorded in Holy Scripture, and to make a thorough distinction between the two Passovers, Hebrew and Christian.

The Orthodox Church has rigidly adhered to these regulations since the year 325A.D. when they were finalized by the first unified council of the entire Church. It has only been since the sixteenth century that Western Churches have celebrated Easter on days differing from the Orthodox observance. The Western system of determining Easter was inaugurated in 1582 A.D.






Back to the Menu




Paschal Greetings from around the World

Language Greeting Response
Aleut Khristus anahgrecum! Alhecum anahgrecum!
Aleut Khris-tusax agla-gikux! Agangu-lakan agla-gikux!
Albanian Krishti U Ngjall! Vertet U Ngjall!
Alutuq Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Pijii-nuq ung-uixtuq!
Amharic Kristos tenestwal! Bergit tenestwal!
Anglo-Saxon Crist aras! Crist sodhlice aras!
Arabic El Messieh kahm! Hakken kahm!
Armenian Kristos haryav ee rnerelotz! Orhnial eh harootyunuh kristosee!
Athabascan Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Gheli banuytashtch'ey!
Bulgarian Hristos voskrese! Vo istina voskrese!
Byelorussian Khrystos uvaskros! Saprawdy uvaskros!
Chinese Helisituosi fuhuole! Queshi fuhuole!
Coptic Pchristos aftooun! Alethos aftooun!
Czech Kristus vstal a mrtvych! Opravdi vstoupil!
Danish Kristus er opstanden! Ja, sandelig opstanden!
Dutch Christus is opgestaan! Ja, hij is waarlijk opgestaan!
English Christ is risen! Indeed He is risen!
Eritrean-Tigre Christos tensiou! Bahake tensiou!
Esperanto Kristo levigis! Vere levigis!
Estonian Kristus on oolestoosunt! Toayestee on oolestoosunt!
Ethiopian Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Exai' ab-her eokala!
Finnish Kristus nousi kuolleista! Totistesti nousi!
French Le Christ est ressuscite! En verite il est ressuscite!
Gaelic Taw creest ereen! Taw shay ereen guhdyne!
Georgian Kriste ahzdkhah! Chezdmaridet!
German Christus ist erstanden! Wahrlich ist er erstanden!
Greek Christos anesti! Alithos anesti!
Hawaiian Ua ala hou 'o Kristo! Ua ala 'l 'o no 'oia!
Hebrew Ha Masheeha houh quam! Be emet quam!
Hungarian Krisztus feltamadt! Valoban feltamadt!
Ibo (Nigeria) Jesu Kristi ebiliwo! Ezia o' biliwo!
Indian (Malayalam) Christu uyirthezhunnettu! Theerchayayum uyirthezhunnettu!
Indonesian Kristus telah bangkit! Benar dia telah bangkit!
Italian Cristo e' risorto! Veramente e' risorto!
Japanese Christos fukkatsu! Jitsu ni fukkatsu!
Javanese Kristus sampun wungu! Tuhu sampun wungu!
Korean Kristo gesso! Buhar ha sho nay!
Latin Christus resurrexit! Vere resurrexit!
Latvian Kristus ir augsham sales! Teyasham ir augsham sales vinsch!
Lugandan Kristo ajukkide! Amajim ajukkide!
Norwegian Christus er oppstanden! Sandelig han er oppstanden!
Polish Khristus zmartwyckwstal! Zaprawde zmartwyckwstal!
Portugese Cristo ressuscitou! Em verdade ressuscitou!
Romainian Hristos a inviat! Adeverat a inviat!
Russian Khristos voskrese! Voistinu voskrese!
Sanskrit Krisio'pastitaha! Satvam upastitaha!
Serbian Cristos vaskres! Vaistinu vaskres!
Slovak Kristus vstal zmr'tvych! Skutoc ne vstal!
Spanish Cristo ha resucitado! En verdad ha resucitado!
Swahili Kristo amefufukka! Kweli amefufukka!
Swedish Christus ar upstanden! Han ar verkligen upstanden!
Syriac M'shee ho dkom! Ha koo qam!
Tlingit Xristos Kuxwoo-digoot! Xegaa-kux Kuxwoo-digoot!
Turkish Hristos diril-di! Hakikaten diril-di!
Ugandan Kristo ajukkide! Kweli ajukkide!
Ukrainian Khristos voskres! Voistinu voskres!
Welsh Atgyfododd Crist! Atgyfododd yn wir!
Yupik Xris-tusaq Ung-uixtuq! IIuumun Ung-uixtuq!
Zulu Ukristu uvukile! Uvukile kuphela!





Back to the Top of the Page


Back to the Great Resources Page


Back to the Main Page Menu


SiteMap


  1. HOME